


Overworked

by MilkteaCosmos



Category: 19天 - Old先 | 19 Days - Old Xian
Genre: Angst, Drama, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23483938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilkteaCosmos/pseuds/MilkteaCosmos
Summary: Mo works himself into the ground and its up to He Tian to take care of him in the aftermath.All the yesterdays threatening to unfold right before him. Mo would do anything to forget. Slowing down is a terrifying thing, but that's why He Tian is here.Prompt from tianshan-captain of tmblr.
Relationships: He Tian/Mo Guanshan (19 Days), Jian Yi/Zhan Zhengxi (19 Days)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 245





	1. Burnout

**Author's Note:**

> First fanfiction. May the gay gods of old have mercy on my soul. This is a work in progress! Helpful notes always welcome and ofc, enjoy.

_This heat._ He wiped the sweat off his brow with a grimace. Sweltering corkscrews of light gushed heavily from the afternoon sun, lapping skyward from the streets in swayed lines like water from the river’s edge. There was no denying it made heavy work more difficult as he unloaded the pallets from the truck bed. With a tsk of irritation, he gripped the merchandise carefully, noticing a shake had started in his hands.This last week he’d forgone homework and most of his sleep for the betterment of work. It was really what he should have been doing all along. All these indulgent distractions have put him behind. School would be fine so long as his grades remained passable, but the bills were quick to pile. There was no safety net to run to should he mess it up, he reminded himself. But it was a little unreal he mused, carefully handing off the box to his coworker. When all it took was a blink for the world would gloss over in blur, life could feel more like a figment. _Looks like heavy rain on a windshield_ , he thought absently. Mo Guan Shan took a moment to let his eyes readjust. It was as if the lenses in a camera had lost all focus. The Vrmm of his back pocket was quick enough to dismiss his concerns. He rolled his eyes.

“Those idiots,” he grumbled. They were still trying to bother him, making his phone buzz like a wasp caught in a soda can. These last few weeks had been one long endeavor. Sneaking off at the last bell to make it to work without interruption. He Tian was the first to come to mind, leaning close with his warm-eyed, cocky smile. 

The teenager growled. “I swear these chicken dicks need to leave me the hell alone.” Mo placed the load down beside the store exit and retreated to the side of the truck; the only shade he had. 

“Sounds like one angry girlfriend,” his coworker mocked, having heard the phone for the better half of an hour. His tone was somewhere between friendly and degrading. Mo didn’t care to figure out which was intended. The man’s face split in half with a large, gaping yawn.

“Welp, if the boss asks, I’m off to lunch.” His words were a lazy babble as he stood straight to stretch his back. His young coworker glanced at the truck between them that was half-unloaded, latent disapproval on his face. He wanted to argue the dumbass’s logic of leaving a job half done, but he didn’t have it in him today. 

“Whatever,” he shot back, leaning against the truckside. He pulled off a work glove with his teeth, keeping it hanging limp at the cusp of his jaw and pulled out his cell. It was about time he checked the spam dump in his messages. It was one regret among others. 

Chicken Dick 1: Redhead, where are you! You promised to hangout today remember? Get back to me. 

Chicken Dick 1: Redhead where did you go! You weren’t in your last class.

Chicken Dick 1: We’re going to the cafe. Come with us!

Chicken Dick 1: REDHEADDDDD

Chicken Dick 1:You’ve hardly been with us all week. I need your anger to balance my happiness. 

Chicken Dick 1: I’ve seen bags under your eyes. You need proper health in order to stay so active. Don’t make us worry for you!

Chicken Dick 1: He Tian says you must hang out with us! :) 

Chicken Dick 2: He Tian is looking for you. 

Chicken Dick 1: Now you're in trouble. Brother He Tian is on the hunt! 

Chicken Dick 2: We saved you food.

Chicken Dick 1: If you don’t hurry I will eat your food.

The Worst chicken dick: Don’t break your promises little Mo. I’m coming to find you. <3

His blood ran a little cold on that last text. 

“Guan Shan! I am not paying you to be on your phone.” Mo’s head snapped up, his cell already back in his pocket. The glove fell from his teeth with a small _platt._

“Yes sir. Sorry,” he barked, straightening up. Bad timing for him. His boss must have come by to check on their work.

“You are moving slow today,” the skinny man scolded, looking over the remaining pallets. “No more breaks. If you don’t want the work, there is plenty of other help I can hire.” His hand darted around his face like a fly as he fanned himself furiously. Outside only two minutes and already overwhelmed by the heat. “I have one more truck coming today. We are on a schedule, so have it done by the time I return,” he demanded. 

“Sir,” Mo affirmed. He could tell his tone wasn’t well received, but it didn’t matter. His boss was already retreating from the heat. _A lot of bark but never much bite_ , Mo decided half annoyed and half amused. He wouldn’t be back for a while and neither would Mo's coworker. So Mo put his phone on silent and rolled his shoulders, stiff and sore. It almost felt like his stomach was cramping. But maybe now with some peace, he could get some work done. The teenager pivoted and reached down to grab his fallen glove, but suddenly lost his balance. 

He grasped hot metal beneath his palm, his breath coming cold, heavy. Mo pressed his fingers into the ridges of the truck, his weight flush against the pressure building in his body. There were pungent splotches riddling his vision like garbage in rain puddles. They rapidly clouded out the ground beneath his shoes, stole away the sky above his head. An acute throb encased his head from the outside in. Curling inward, Mo knew if he hadn’t thrown his hand out behind him, he wouldn’t have landed well. And bit by bit, he slowly lowered himself down to a half-hazard crouch. _Not now_ , he willed with a deep, shaking breath. There was defiance in the way he invoked the careening universe to stillness. Mo swallowed down the frenzy of daze and the food that tried to come with it. In gradual succession the brindled black holes stopped eating the sidewalk between his shoes. It faded with the weight that threatened to push him under. All beaten by the small curses that spilled from his lips. With the worst of it gone, Mo rose to a stand. Exhaustion laced round the lines of his eyes. It had all passed in seconds. Reaching down, Mo snatched his fallen glove from the ground, annoyed. He would finish his work and worry about this later. All he needed was a few more hours.

\--

“Wah, he’s ignoring us again,” Jian Yi pouted, holding onto Zhan Zheng Xi’s shoulder with his free hand.

“He has to work, Jian. He can’t always be here for your entertainment,” his lover scolded. There was a small to-go plate on the table they sat at, untouched and waiting. A plate that Jian Yi had been eyeballing keenly the whole time. Suddenly his face brightened with a new protest. 

“But the sun is setting now and it’s Friday. Redhead promised he’d hang with us at the end of the week, remember? We are just as important as his job. Right, He Tian?” the excitable blond chirped. He Tian’s expression, as usual, was a little unreadable for him, but the roguish teen grinned, as if sensing the blond’s thoughts. 

“Mo is overdue with entertaining us, isn’t he,” he encouraged. 

“See? If brother He Tian agrees, then it must be so!” Zhan Zheng Xi noticed the concern in He Tian’s eyes and opted to ignore his needy lover for a moment. 

“Maybe Guan Shan’s almost done with work by now,” he told his friend. “If you want to get him, we can wait here for you.” 

“Hey! Why do we have to wait here!” Jian Yi complained childishly, but his excitement betrayed him. He sounded too happy to be upset. 

“We’ll pick out deserts for us all,” the brunette pacified, sending Jian Yi over the moon. The chittering youth howled and collapsed over him in an exuberant display of joy.

“In that case, what are we waiting for?” he gushed, ear to ear with an expression that his boyfriend quietly committed to memory. Jian Yi made a b-line for the cakes, tugging Xian Xi along with him and freeing He Tian to take his leave.

\--

Two trucks nearly finished and he was down to his last several pallets. Not bad for having done the work by himself, but hell was he feeling it now. Mo’s coworker decided to never come back from his lunch. It was really no surprise. What use was the man anyway? Mo huffed dryly at the setting sun and let the sensation of the evening wind brush over him. A bit of relief. Now winding down from the hustle and heat, his swimming head was proving to be more of a nuisance than his phone was. But at least he was being left alone for now. 

“Little Mo. You're really too irresponsible with your promises.” _Speak of the devil._ The familiar voice near his ear sent a rush of red to his cheeks and cool chill down his spine. Mo jumped away, fumbling with a box in hand. 

“You! What do you want,” he stammered. Why was he so surprised? 

“I missed you too, little Mo. I’m keeping you to your word. You promised we’d all be together this evening, so I’m collecting you.” He Tian tilted his pretty head side to side, considering. He bore an expression Guan Shan didn’t like. This guy was irritation personified. Mo quickly looked away under his prolonged scrutiny.

“You don’t look well,” He Tian voiced, closing the gap between them. Mo felt his heart skip. The pestering shithead lifted Mo’s chin with one gentle touch, his gaze too focused for comfort. His hands were smooth and warm. His black hair fell across his face in a way that Mo thought of often. He Tian gazed at the dark lines beneath Mo’s eyes and how little it offset the tired downturn of his lips. From this close, Mo’s shaking hands were evident. Mo could nearly hear the thoughts in the asshole’s mind. “How are you feeling? Have you been eating?” He knew it. The redhead slapped his would-be knight’s hand away, bristling. He just wanted to finish his work already. This was exactly what he had been avoiding.

“I don’t need your concern. Get out of my way,” he snarled, taking a step back. His own voice sounded softer than intended. 

“When’s the last time you’ve had a proper rest?” his companion pushed, protectively stepping closer. He was about to suggest finishing Mo’s duties with him, or for him.

“That's none of your business!” Mo returned, twisting away. “I am not your damn charge to keep watch of!” Walking back to the truck, Guan Shan grabbed another box from the edge of the truck bed. It was almost too heavy to lift and he worried it was apparent. 

“You need rest. I can see it in how you move.” He Tian compelled, voice raising. He stood there, his shoulders squared, his eyes locked and unrelenting. In these moments he had this ability to make his presence larger than any other force, but his friend wasn’t having it. Not today. 

“That's not for you to decide!” Mo accused. 

“And you're behaving rashly, he quickly retorted. He was going to take that damn box out of Mo's hands, pick him up and march him to the closest place to rest. He would pay Mo's boss off if that's what it took. This wasn’t a situation where He Tian liked to play games, but Mo wouldn’t even meet his eyes.

He Tian felt a warmth suffuse his face. 

"Come. I'm taking you home," he decided. And as if on cue, his intended spun back to face him. 

“You want to speak about behaving rashly? How is it you keep finding me exactly?” For a moment the fight slipped from He Tian’s face. “I don’t need you getting in my way. I don’t need your pity or any of you constantly bugging me! And I don’t need another She Li!” The way He Tian's eyes leaped from anger to hurt was too open and too quick for Mo to process. Those words: too angry, too fueled, and untrue. Just an foul mistake marooned in the dead air between them. Mo felt an ugly guilt rupture in the pits of his stomach. He blinked repeatedly to bring He Tian back into focus. But his vision was all but scraps of paper in the fires of his head. He began to feel sick. 

“Is that really how I am to you?” He Tian challenged, voice soft even when strained. Impulsively, he grabbed Mo Guan Shan by the shoulders. The contact was wrong, forceful even without the pressure. His insecurities were making him overstep. But what Mo said, those words were wrong too. He had to hear it himself that this was an outburst, not a truth. Mo looked so pale. Where was his usual fighting strength? Was his head hanging in avoidance or something else? “Answer me,” he pressed, his voice no longer swelled with hurt but concern. Mo dropped the box he held when He Tian grabbed him. Neither of them noticed it fall. 

“No- I. That’s not--'' Mo protested. His voice was more breath than fight. With the world slipping out from beneath him, Mo reached out and grabbed onto He Tian’s sleeve. He felt the same weight from before uprooting his thoughts. It was a little too much to fight this time. The last thing he saw was He Tian’s pretty face change to panic as all the swimming lights burnt out.


	2. Kindling

A muddied impression of movement roused him just above the weighted cloud. It was wheels maybe, smooth and quick, like a bus streaming across the highway. He felt himself carried along as some passenger to an unknown place. A voice called pleasantly across the pond of his murky thoughts. It flowed to him like childhood memories, fragmented and faded.

“Brother --- heading towards -- hospital. Arrange -- for me -- soon.” _He Tian?_ Everything was wrapped in a searing, weighted heat. Did he feel it too? It was silent now. With nothing else to grab onto, Mo felt the weight push him back under.

\--

“I still don’t see why I have to be at your place. I don’t need a maid to look after me, I’m fine.” 

“You struggled quite a bit with those stairs. I’m only following doctor’s orders, little Mo. Who else is going to make sure you stick to bedrest?”

“My place wouldn’t have had as many,” Mo replied, hands in his pockets. He leaned his side against the wall haphazardly, face pale. His expression, no matter how subtle, confessed something lingered in the gardens of his mind. He was beautiful even now. 

“Don’t be shy with me little Mo. You’ve been over to my place before,” his gaze warmed. “It will be easier for me to tend to you here.” He Tian's key made a satisfying click inside the lock. “You think ‘strict monitoring’ means I get to watch you shower?~” 

“Like hell it does. Don’t be so perverted!” Guan Shan combated vehemently. 

As He Tian opened the door to his lofty apartment, he was happy to have Mo with him. For both their sakes. He let his guest enter first with a grand, welcoming gesture and set his phone to charge on the counter. He watched the screen flicker back to life after its untimely death. 3:45 am, read the slender, white text. _And 15 unread messages?_ The tired host lit up in amusement. Right, he’d forgotten about the star-crossed lovers. They must have been concerned, or cross. Absently, he took a small bag from his jacket pocket and set it beside his phone. Less humorous was the two missed calls from He Cheng. His brother seldom called twice, but He Tian resolved to worry about that later. Perhaps never. It had been a long day. Before any distractions came up, the handsome devil relayed an update to his friends.

Little Mo got a little sick so I’m taking care of him ;). Sleepover at my place tomorrow night to make it up. Bring drinks. I’ve got the food. 

He hit send not expecting a reply till around noon.

“Wait!” Mo exclaimed behind him, resting against the counter. “I don’t have any clothes to wear. Take me back.” Mo’s deadpan expression forced a smile out of He Tian. He set his phone down calmly.

“You can wear something of mine,” he countered with ease, having imagined it too many times already. Guan Shan gave an incredulous stare. “Come now little Mo,” He Tian interrupted. “It'll be just like a sleepover." Quickly vanishing, He Tian reappeared with a clean pair of joggers, a toothbrush, and a white undershirt a minute later. 

“Here," he offered smoothly. "These are too small for me now, so maybe they’ll suit you. Go on and shower before you rest. You smell like work.” Surprisingly, though visibly skeptical, Mo relented. It must have been the dark circles permeating beneath those striking eyes that decided for him. 

“I’m locking the door,” he assured as he turned to leave. 

“I can buy you proper clothes tomorrow,” he cat-called after that nice ass, with his hand cupped by his mouth for emphasis.

“Don’t you dare,” was Mo’s echoed reply. He gave a single finger salute as he disappeared from view. 

Alone for the moment, He Tian distractedly wandered back to his phone. His eyes focused on the small plastic bag beside it, debating. The teen caved and pulled a somber little white box from its confines. For ‘minor arrhythmia’, read the bold font on the box. His pretty face fell to a frown. He turned the box over in his hand, listening to the chemicals rattle within. Any matter concerning Mo’s heart was of immense importance. He disagreed rather dryly with the phrasing. What was Mo going to do if this little medicine didn’t do the trick? He set both the medicine and passing thought aside in favor of a folded paper peeking out of the bag. It was the release form.

“No strenuous activity, excused from work and school, bedrest and monitoring for one week,” the young lover recited. His tone of voice revealed his feelings to an empty room. It was different somehow, reading it on paper versus hearing it from the doctor; this was too tangible and real. They would have kept Mo admitted longer, he recalled, if they weren’t concerned his immune system was compromised by the episode. Until he recovered, they wanted him to stay clear of anyone ill. _His heart would return to normal after the meds took their course_ , He Tian assured himself. He let out a gruff exhale.

“Reckless idiot,” he scolded. He popped out a pill from its tiny tomb and prepared a glass of water. Something about the action brought to surface a question that had been brewing in his mind all week. Soft footsteps approaching rapped the floorboards behind him. _That was quick_ , he thought as he glanced at a clock. _Oh_ , he retracted mentally. He'd just been that tired. Wasting time in his thoughts it seemed.

“Hng, it’s raining.” From his peripheral, He Tian saw Mo take a reluctant seat on the couch watching the rainfall. 

_So it is_.

“That came randomly,” Mo noted, rubbing his eyes.

“Rain always comes for a reason,” He Tian replied.

\--

He took a seat beside his little Mo, venturing to sit just a little too close as he handed him the medicine and water. He was notably more pleased with their hands brushing than his companion was.

“Uh, thanks,” his crush muttered. Finally in one another’s company without distraction, the tension from the afternoon gradually resurfaced. Questions and apologies alike tentatively teetered between lip and tongue. It forced Mo to be cognizant of how close he was to He Tian. As the latter sensed more keenly the walls of Mo’s heart rise. 

Their attention wandered to the turning weather. 

Droplets drummed along the windowpane. A song-like catharsis pittered across the glass in streams and divorced them from the city outside. Weaving, diverging, and branching, they were the constellations of ever-changing couplets of some grand, unread book. The streetlight luminescence devolved to firefly smudges. Sounds of traffic swam beneath the current of water, farther away than hours before. It was beautiful and this time it wasn’t lonely. He Tian tilted his head onto the palm of his hand, elbow propped on the head of the couch. Mo’s hair was still wet from his shower and beads dripped down his shoulders and neck. He Tian couldn’t stop his smile. _So handsome_ , he chimed internally. He watched his guest candidly, curving every detail around the tangle of his thoughts. After a moment, the redhead furrowed his brow at him.

“What?” Mo questioned, side-eyeing him. He was hoping he’d ask that.

“You look great in my clothes,” He Tian flirted. Guan Shan turned the most precious shade of red. 

“Shut up!” he spat. He Tian laughed, shedding some of the day away. It was the way the shirt collar hung too generously across Mo’s shoulders, he decided. That's what did it. 

“I’ve never seen you react so slowly. You really must be tired.”

“You go from school to work everyday,” Mo retorted. The spunk suddenly dropped from his face. “Shit,” he exhaled. “I didn’t inform work.” 

“Already done,” He Tian boasted.

“What?”

“I would have called the school too. But it may have been strange for me to call instead of a parent. Maybe it would have been fun though,” he joked evenly. The rogue paused his teasing. 

“Why the face little Mo? I didn’t expect you of all people to miss school.”

“You paid for the hospital visit already, didn’t you?” He Tian paused, a little taken aback. “I’m paying you back," his love continued. "I won’t be indebted to you.” He Tian let his hand fall from his chin to curl around Mo’s shoulder. He leaned his head toward him in jest.

“Come Mo. It's such a romantic night! Let's not bicker about finances.” He relented when Mo lazily elbowed a little distance between them. He was still too spiritless. The way he backtalked, roughhoused; it was missing the edge behind it. _Still not quite himself._ “I know you’ll pay back every cent.” He Tian promised genuinely. His little Mo’s energy was fading right before him. He looked like he was falling asleep where he sat.

“You should get some sleep.” He Tian urged sweetly, standing up to fetch some blankets. Mo reached out and grabbed the cuff of his sleeve, stopping him.

“Wait." He hesitated, searching the floor for a breath as he gathered his thoughts. “What I said earlier... I’m sorry.” There was such a strict weight in his eyes. Eyes like languid fire and molten honey. His tone grasped a tender, clear sincerity as if it was a frail songbird to be held cautiously in hand. What a beautiful face to hold up the world. 

“You weren’t yourself.” He Tian promised. Unwilling to stop himself, he ran his hand through Guan Shan’s hair. It was soft, wild. 

“No.” Mo shook his head, letting go of He Tian’s sleeve and softly knocked his hand away. He Tian quietly watched the way Mo absently touched the stud of his left ear. “I was pissed off and stupid,” he admitted. “You're nothing like She Li.” Relief He Tian scarcely knew he needed washed over him. It was a wave of overwhelming peace that resonated from fingertip to the recesses of his mind. Quiet in the cordiality, He Tian focused on the sound of rain. Had Mo noticed how much those words bothered him? Even when he barely noticed it himself? “Thank you,” Mo concluded in prideful admittance. Delicately, He Tian turned toward Mo, craning his head nearer to the redhead’s. So serious, this love interest of his. 

“Tell me,” he urged. “Why the urgent need for money? This is different than your usual work ethic.” Mo parted his lips and exhaled as if he’d already read the question in the raindrops. He weighed the consequence of silence against honesty between clenched hands, eyes far away. 

“My mom," he paused. Either wanting to take the words back or build the sturdiness to make more. "My mom was diagnosed with a kind of chronic disease," Mo confessed. "It's nothing lethal or anything crazy. But it bothers her. And it limits the work she can do now. I don’t remember what it's called. Don't think I wanted to. I just know there’s only one medication she can take to help with it right now. I found out when I visited home a couple weeks ago.” He ran his hand through his hair absently as he spoke. “The medication costs more than I make.” 

“...” 

“If I could just earn more. If I wasn’t in school. I don’t know.” 

So young and already so adult. He Tian stood calmly amid the confession. Mo watched him rise, a little confused. Before he could question it, He Tian leaned over and pinned his shoulders to the head of the couch. 

“What the fuck are you doing?!” He cried, flushing red. He Tian leaned in close, thinking about a million things, a million things and those lips. _No,_ he thought a little distractedly, a little tiredly. It wasn't the way the collar hung on Mo, it was how the color suited his hair and eyes, fostered the vibrance like pointing a kaleidoscope to light.

“You can’t take care of your mother if you don’t take care of yourself,” he swore. The redhead’s eyes flickered with recognition, and his protests paused. For a moment he relaxed beneath He Tian’s hold. 

“If you're going to carry so much,” He Tian instructed. “Then let yourself rest too,” he pleaded. His hands had migrated from Mo's shoulders to the line of his jaw, challenging those fierce eyes with his own dose of sincerity. Maybe it was imagined, maybe wishful thinking, but He Tian thought he saw a kindling of light spark across them. The kind of spark that filled He Tian’s chest just by being near him. If he could just hold him like this always. But this wasn’t the time for those thoughts. Too early and too late all at once. His moment of mental sobriety vanishing, or maybe to counter the weight of their exchange, He Tian let a thin, wry smile overtake his sleepy face. “You could always just rest beneath me like this if you liked~” Mo’s blush came back with a vengeance. 

“Fucker. Get off me!” Mo returned, thrashing a knee in He Tian’s side. Mo’s tormentor let go and backed away immediately, arms raised in defeat. He chuckled and rubbed his side with his hand.

“So cruel,” he pouted playfully. Mo leaned back on the couch after his little attack and yawned despite himself.

"I think it's well past your bedtime," He Tian decided. With ease, he plucked his little soldier up from the couch. 

He held him close and firm despite the avid protests. Chidingly, the handsome boy joked Mo shouldn’t strain himself with so much yelling. It felt a bit dreamlike, carrying the boy he liked over to his bed, rain brushing away the hours between them like debris in a river. With more care than either of them expected, he sat his treasure down onto the mattress, pleased with the sight. The sheets were clean and fresh, the host promised amidst the multiple complaints Mo launched with one hand raised and the other crossing his heart. 

"What kind of host would I be making you sleep on the couch?~" He justified mischievously. “ _I_ can take the couch for the time being.” More seriously, He Tian grabbed the comforter folded at the foot of the bed and handed it to Mo, quieting his objections. Stealing one more moment, He Tian leaned over the bed and guided Mo into a half-hug, letting his companion’s head rest lightly against his chest. 

“Now put my mind at ease and get some rest.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the fluff. There's more to come. This is a work in progress so helpful notes always welcome!   
> While I wrote out this chapter I also did some reworking to the first :)
> 
> Fun Fact: Mo is commando in this chapter after the shower (He never got underwear with his pajamas.) A little reference to a favorite chapter of mine in the cannon.


End file.
